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"Oh," she says like she feels guilty. "You met Brendan."
"Someone had to keep her company."
I make a gagging sound in the back of my throat.
"Were you playing with your toys at the barn last night?" Brendan asks her, unaffected.
A devilish smirk is her only her answer before she takes a huge bite of her sandwich.
"I don't know how you do it. Drink piss-warm beer, listen to country music, and sit on bales of hay with people you have absolutely nothing in common with."
"What else is there to do?"
Brendan gives her a pointed gaze, and she fights back a grin.
"What's the barn?" I ask.
"It's an abandoned barn about a half mile through the woods," Ashton explains. "Some of us sneak out there in the summer to party there with the locals. This town is too small, and until everyone gets back, there isn't much to do. I have to improvise to stay sane or else I can't be held accountable for my crazy. I'll take you with me some night."
"Uh, maybe," I reply, not convinced I need that kind of excitement.
Brendan appears amused by my reaction but doesn't comment. "Are you working today?" he asks Ashton.
"You know I am." Ashton pushes her empty plate away. She checks her watch and asks me, "Want to walk back to the dorm? We should probably get ready. The shuttle's picking us up in an hour."
I flick my eyes to Brendan, who continues watching us curiously, like we're here purely for his entertainment. "Sure."
I take the coffee with me, leaving Brendan alone.
"I'm sorry I forgot to tell you about him," Ashton says as we push through the doors leading into the Court. Maybe this time, I'll be able to remember the way back.
"Did you hook up with him last night?" she asks casually.
"What?" I shout. "Gross!"
Ashton side-eyes me like I'm crazy. Maybe my reaction was a little dramatic.
"Relax. I'm not judging. Not many of us have any room to judge."
I stare at her in shock, my mouth open. "You?"
"He knows what he's doing." She shrugs, not bothered. "And he's honest about what it is up front. I respect that."
"So he's the school--"
"Don't." She cuts me off before I can label him.
I'm shocked into silence. I didn't think he was someone worth defending.
"He's a friend," she explains. "I get why you might not like him. He has no filter or boundaries, and he should come with a warning label. But, he is authentic. Brendan's upfront with who he is, no apologies. And that's why he's one of the only people in this school I trust."
Now I really don't know what to say.
"Besides, he can get you just about anything you need."
"For a price," I scoff.
"Doesn't everything in life come with a price?" she answers simply.
